Droids Attack Must Destroy
by Joe Mis
Staff Writer
From the Great American Midwest comes Must Destroy, the third full-length release from stoner rock trio Droids Attack. Playing heavy guitar riffs with the intensity of skate-punk, Droids Attack makes no nonsense, kick-you-in-the-face music that takes no prisoners.
The band calls Madison, Wisc. its home, and claims to be influenced by bands ranging from Black Sabbath to Helmet. Cheeseheads or not, these guys pull no punches. Fronted by guitarist-vocalist Brad Van and ably supported by drummer Tony Brungraber, bassist Nate Bush and on-stage mascot Robo the robot, Droids Attack lays down some amazingly thick and juicy blues-influenced riffs with a big booming bottom end. Brad Van is a fine rhythm guitar player, very bluesy overall. With a love of heavy distortion, his riffs are catchy and infectious. His voice is raspy and rough – a perfect fit for the stoner/punk style of the music. Bush and Brungraber keep up with Van note for note. Both are talented musicians and seem to have a natural knack for knowing when to step to the forefront of the music and when to fade into the background.
Opening with the gloomy-doomy instrumental “The Unforgiven 4,” Van’s guitar literally sets the tone for the remainder of the album – heavy distorted grooves, pounding and majestic bass, solid drums with slow moody guitar licks piled on top. “The Great Wall Of ‘Gina” slams into the listener with some huge guitars and a very intricate bass and drum line. Unfortunately Van’s vocals seem to be buried amongst the music. “Blueshammer” – the title says it all. Great bass riffs and vigorous drum work drive numerous tempo changes to nail this one perfectly. The opening riffs and amazing guitar solo of “The Arcade Bully” are catchy and clean, and the song shows the band’s love for video games – the entire track is performed with a great punk swagger.
“Must Destroy” opens with a great Black Sabbath style passage before flowing into a cooler, low key verse and chorus. Incredibly hot blues licks open “The Crisis In The City” before the band kicks it into high punk gear driven by the bass and drums. “Crisis”leads directly into the very blues-influenced “Canadian Death Bus,” which just drips heavy guitars and bass – and gives Van’s blues-style vocals and lead guitar skills a chance to shine. They dive right back into the high speed punk riffs and rhythms with the rapid-fire “Koko Beware,” and wrap the CD with Brad Van’s guitar showpiece, the instrumental “Astro Glider” – awesome work by all involved.
On the whole, Must Destroy is a solid album – pure stoner rock delivered with attitude, enthusiasm and raw ability. A bit rough, sometimes crude, and definitely unpolished, Droids Attack captures the true spirit of the genre with their musical performance and sarcastic but humorous lyrics. Any fan of punk or stoner rock will find much to love about this album – especially after having a brew or two. A bit more variety in tone or style might open the eyes of more conventional blues rock or hard rock fans, but these guys aren’t going to change for anyone. Somewhat formulaic and a little repetitive, they ARE stoner rock – and they will kick your butt.
Good fun!
Genre: Stoner Rock
Band:
Brad Van (guitar/vocals)
Tony Brungraber (drums)
Nate Bush (bass)
Track Listing:
1. The Unforgiven 4
2. The Great Wall Of ‘Gina
3. Blueshammer
4. The Arcade Bully
5. Must Destroy
6. The Crisis In The City (It’s Increasing)
7. Canadian Death Bus
8. Koko Beware
9. Astro Glider
Label: Crustacean Records
Website: http://www.droidsattack.com/ , http://www.crustaceanrecords.com/
Hardrock Haven rating: 7.5/10